Playing every golf course in Melbourne Australia Rd 2 : Brighton Public Golf Course

This week I went to Brighton Public Golf Course in Melbourne Australia. It’s a very straight course, lined with trees and sand traps which as you can imagine I spent quite some time in. It’s a really tough course for people who don’t drive the ball straight, and particularly difficult for people who hit high draws or hooks with their driver.

I was paired with two mid 30s Irish lads from Tyrone for the front 9, and two retired local Aussies for the back 9. This was pretty embarrassing for me because it was my first time recording a golf video playing with people. I had initially booked to play alone so I wasn’t prepared for it. But both groups were sound and it didn’t seem to bother them.

Hole 1 is a Par 4 345m Index 6 with a narrow fairway. I hook my drive into the trees and don’t have a clear shot. I pitch it back into play, leaving about 80m to the green. My pitch pushes right and lands in the sand. So I’ve essentially hit every hazard on Hole 1. My bunker shot goes close but not close enough, and I two putt for a double bogey.

Hole 2 is a shot Par 4 Index 15 with a narrow 20m gap to drive through. I catch it well and it flies to within 10m of the green, just before the bunker. I clear the bunker with a decent chip but it pulls slights too far left. Leaving me with a long birdie putt. It comes close, but not close enough and I tap in for par.

Hole 3 is a Par 3 123m. I hit an 8-iron off the branch of a low hanging tree that’s just out of the camera line. So I don’t even clear the Tee box with my shot. No tee for me on shot 2, but it’s a dinger that’s lands within 5m. I’m really unlucky not to save par with my putt pulling up inches from the hole.

Hole 4 has some low hanging branches as well and I’m convinced I’m going to hit them. I don’t. Instead, I pull my drive into the sand and have to lay up for my third shot. It goes close but my putting lets me down badly and I miss a simple shot to leave me a bogey.

I’m on the 5th Tee box raging at the last putt, and try to take out my frustration on the next drive. I duff it about 15m in front of me and I’m terribly embarrassed to do this in front of the Irish lads. It goes from bad to worse when I try to lay up and hit yet another low hanging branch and progress approximately 10meters. So I’m on my 4th shot and 180m from the green. And hit a 5-iron into the sand. My chip barely makes it out and I have a 15m putt which comes up way short. I’m now sweating that I’m going to miss a triple bogey putt. It just rolls around the rim and in for 7.

Hole 6 is a Par 3 130m. I flush my 8-iron as well as I’ve ever hit it. It’s lands close and give me a birdie chance to ease the pain of the last hole. Sickeningly I miss it and end up with a par.
Hole 7 is another short Par 4 231m. I hit a 3-hybrid. It’s lands short of the green and I use a 5-iron to hit a little pitch and run. It doesn’t run as much as I want and I have to chip again. It doesn’t catch the hill where I was hoping and tails off left leaving me with a long par putt. I miss the putt long, and scrape a bogey.

Hole 8 is Par 3 156m. I hit a 7-iron. It catches the sand bunker and I have to chip out. I don’t get any spin and it runs across the green. I have to chip it back where it came from. The chip goes close and leaves me with a straight forward putt for bogey.

Hole 9 is a Par 5 484m. I stripe my drive about 270m straight down the fairway. My best shot of the day. I have about 200ish to the green so I decided to hit my 4-iron. It doesn’t draw like I expected and I end up in the bushes. All I can do from here is chip it back into play. I go for the flop shot off a terrible surface. It comes off reasonably well and gives me a chance to save par. The putt was never on line, but it leaves me with a tap in for bogey.

The Irish lads were done after the front 9; I nearly went as well because it was a brutal round from my perspective. 10-over for nine holes. 1 triple bogey, 1 double bogey, 5 bogeys, and only 2 pars. I persevere because it can only go up from here.

I’m about to Tee off on 10, and two Aussie lads rock up and ask can they play the back 9 with me because there’s a big wait on the 1st. I explain that I’m recoding my rounds so that I can analyse my game and try to improve. I promise I won’t slow them down, and they’re happy enough to play.

Hole 10 is a Par 4 324m. I stripe my drive but it catches a tree leaf and losses some spin. I land in bunker about 150 from the green. I hit a 7-iron from the sand and again I whack a tree branch, and the ball just drips from the sky. I’m still 100m from the hole and hit a pitch to within putting range. It comes up short and I take a bogey.

Hole 11 is a par 3 157m. I hit an 8-iron because it looks closer in person. But it comes up short. And I have a chip from the fringes. I hit a decent chip which leaves me a par putt. It misses left, and I take another bogey.

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